


Avatar: The Cat Owl Prince

by CobraOnTheCob



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Animal Transformation, Crack Fic, F/M, cat owl, tags will be updated as I go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-21
Updated: 2020-10-21
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:55:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27136945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CobraOnTheCob/pseuds/CobraOnTheCob
Summary: Zuko gets turned into a cat owl.
Relationships: Katara & Zuko (Avatar), Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 24
Collections: Zutara Crack Challenge





	Avatar: The Cat Owl Prince

**Author's Note:**

> What was going to be a one-shot might wind up being a whole series. rip to me.
> 
> Takes place after Jet's debut episode.

So bribing the waterbender with her necklace didn’t work. 

Standing on the deck, he casually just holds the necklace, pondering his next move. He examines the necklace closely - he had to admit, the craftsmanship was beautiful, and for a brief moment, he wondered if it’d be safer under his armor -it would be more secure but there’s no way it’d fit around his neck.

Zuko, however, is not one to give up, so he tries to arrange it in a way that would -

Light emanated from the necklace, and he almost dropped it, but then the glow began to overtake him. He couldn’t scream, he was too terrified as the sensation of his body changing shocked him into silence. After what felt like an eternity, the glowing stopped and Zuko shook his head, trying to make sense of what was around him now. He realized he was on his stomach, so he tried to get up.

Or he would have, had he not noticed that his hands were now wings. Turning his head, and then looking down, he saw that he had been turned into a cat owl. 

_WHAT._

No sooner did he think that, he heard boots approaching, and he saw one of his crewmates approaching on patrol.

“Shoo!” the crewmate cried, spotting the cat owl on the deck.

“Hey! I’m your prince!” Zuko yelled, subconsciously puffing up. The crewmate suddenly lunged at him, and Zuko backed up as regally as he could, and by that, he stumbled in his new feet and hit the wall of the ship. The crewmate stood back, and Zuko realized that the crewmate was giving him space to jump overboard. Clumsily, he jumped onto the rail and then the crewmate moved forward again. Zuko didn’t hesitate to jump, and instinctively spread his wings, flapping wildly as he prayed to whatever spirit was out there that he wouldn’t crash. Blindly, he flew in the direction of land, and flew as fast as he could. 

Instinct tugged at him to go north, so he did. He had no idea why, he just had the urge to go north. Beating his wings, he went with his gut and flew north.

* * *

He flies for what feels like hours - his wings and chest ache from the exertion of muscles he’s not used to using this frequently. He smells faint traces of smoke and as he looks for the source, he sees where it’s coming from. As he flies closer, he recognizes the massive bison first before seeing the three other people. Landing (whatever someone may say, he did NOT crash onto a branch and nearly fall through several branches) on a branch, he made himself rest his aching wings. Carefully, he makes his way down the tree and gets close to three people sleeping. He could lure the Avatar away, figuring that the Avatar would follow him, right?

This would probably be one of the most humiliating parts of his life, but Zuko figured, if it got the job done, Father would give his honor back. On silent cat owl wings, he swoops down to the sleeping Avatar.

“Hey Avatar,” Zuko says, stalking close. The Avatar doesn’t stir, but the waterbender does.

“Wha - “ the girl sleepily murmurs as she sits up slightly, and Zuko instinctively freezes, as if that would stop her from seeing - wait, he was small enough not to be seen - but then the girl gets out of her sleeping bag, muttering about not being able to sleep at night once woken up. The girl walks away from the sleeping group and suddenly turns to see Zuko. 

“Awwww, a cat owl,” she said, “Hi.” Zuko’s ears flicked at how high her voice jumped, but the girl just turns away and walks to the forest.

_What is she thinking?_ Zuko wonders.

“Are you stupid?” Zuko asks, and she stops, “You’re going to get captured like that if you wander off alone into the woods!” 

“Awwww, you’re a talkative little kitty,” the girl coos and lowers herself down so that she can be at his eye level. 

_No one can understand me,_ Zuko realizes with horror. All the waterbender heard was him meowing and hooting or whatever sounds cat owls made. 

“Awwww, poor thing, you have a burn scar on your face,” the waterbender said, and after a moment, hesitatingly extended one hand to him. He hissed, and she drew her hand back.

_I still have my scar?_

“Funny thing, I know someone like that,” she said, “Though I wish he wasn’t chasing us.” Zuko let out a growl. He wasn’t chasing her and her brother, he was chasing the Avatar!

“Yeah, me too,” she said, not knowing what he actually meant, “I just, how could someone want to take the last hope the world has?! I mean, he’s Fire Nation, so of course he doesn’t care, since he’s the Prince and spreading violence and hatred is in his blood.” She spat out the last sentence like she’d bitten into something foul.

“We’re not spreading violence and hatred!” Zuko protested on reflex, but remembered that she wouldn’t understand her.

“You’re a talkative kitty,” she said quietly, then looked closely at him, “Hey, what’s that?” She reached for him again, but Zuko hissed and he felt his fur and feathers puff up instinctively. She glared at him and only moved closer.

“Get away from me!” Zuko screeched, and tried to move away, but the girl wasn’t having any of it. 

“Let me see what’s on your neck!” That made Zuko pause. There was something on his neck? This gave the girl long enough time to grab him in her hands and she took a good look at it.

“Weird,” she said, “I didn’t know people put necklaces on their pets.”

_What?_

**Author's Note:**

> It was supposed to be a one-shot but now i have a monster of a fic begging for me to write it. great. Maybe I'll write WHY the necklace turned Zuko into a cat owl lol.


End file.
